Assembly of certain components which are sensitive to static electricity often takes place on microelectronics production floors. It is, therefore, necessary to provide a barrier between such components and any generators of static electricity which may be found on the production floor. The most common generators of static electricity are insulators. Insulators, which have a resistance factor of 10.sup.11 (ohms) .OMEGA. or more, when rubbed together will hold a static charge. Examples of insulators include clothing, hair, certain plastic products, Styrofoam, paper, non-treated Lexan (acrylic), certain computer monitors, non-safe plastic wrap, and non-safe rubber items.
Conventional procedure is to assemble such static electricity sensitive components in a segregated electrostatic discharge ("ESD") safe area. This is generally accomplished by erecting a barrier around the ESD safe area, providing a thirty-six inch buffer zone between the ESD safe area and the remainder of the production floor, or the non-ESD safe area.
Providing such a buffer zone is an inefficient use of the available production floor. Thus, there exists a need for a barrier which makes a more efficient use of the production floor while still protecting ESD sensitive components.